Tales of the Runemaster
by Sepplin
Summary: Three short stories and when I say short, I mean it that I based off of Fable: The Lost Chapters.
1. 1: Reunited

The old hero walked into the room where his mother was said to be, soft sounds meeting his ears - but another sound, as he walked by the cell, rang out.

"I told you. Touch me again and I'll wring your neck," the voice trembled, and echoed across the damp, cave-like room. However, the Runemaster recognised the voice - one that sent him spinning around. Hesitantly, he took a step torwards the woman.

"Wait, I know you.. no, it's a trick. You aren't my son. The bastard's playing with my head," but despite her words she went to the bars of the cell. It was then the Runemaster noticed - she was thin, and looked so pitiful..

"But it.. it really is you, isn't it?" hope still rang in her voice, seeing him step torwards the bars as well. Runemaster was speechless.. all this time. He still remembered the day the bandits had come to Oakvale.

"What the hell were you thinking, coming here? Don't you see he'll take us both?" she wasn't angry at him - it was hard, but she was afraid. For her. For him. For them. Them.. a word she hadn't thought without hostility for years now. 'Them' used to be the damned Jack of Blades and his little friends.

"Never mind. We've got to get out of here. Get this damn cage open," she commanded. There was one way out, she knew, and it was a difficult way, too.

A hard path, it would be.. but it was the one way, she reminded herself. _Prepare yourself_, she thought, and waited for her son to open the cage.


	2. 2: The Death of Briar Rose

Quite a while had past since the second meeting of son and mother had been made, soon after the Runemaster's mother was killed by Jack of Blades. He was returning - little by little, and it is just now that the story continues, written, preserved.

"The heroine," Briar Rose told Runemaster, "I can't think of anyone who fits the description better than Scarlet Robe, your mother," and at this remark the old hero was quite angry at Briar. However, he hid it, as he usually did, remaining expressionless.

"There's always me of course, but as you can see I'm still alive, and I plan to stay that way," Briar smirked, amused at her own joke. She didn't know, however, how seriously Runemaster would take it.

"You'll have to pay her tomb in Oakvale another visit. I know this won't be easy, but Scarlet was always one to make sacrifices, remember?" she said, intending a good word in, but not expecting - still not fathoming - what the man by her side was thinking. What a surprise she would get.

Runemaster laughed coldly, an old creak to his voice, and drew his sword. Briar still didn't fully realise the situation and passed it off that the old hero had gone quite crazy. However, suddenly, he turned and struck her with the metal.

"Well, I'm rather fond of my soul. I'm not giving up without a fight. Let's do this!" the woman tried to hide her surprise, however she was not quite as skilled at this at the Runemaster, and he sensed that she hadn't been expecting such a thing.

She drew her sword and stood ready, swaying side to side as if to confuse her foe. As he brought his sword down, hers blocked his, the clash - metal against metal - how it rang through the air. Again he beat down, her sword ever ready to block.

Then Briar dissapeared, just before she was hit - and there were not one of her, but eight. Runemaster, angered, threw up his arms. Around him a great firey ring was created, a dark essence swirling around it. Jets of fire sprang up from the ground, each duplicate dissipated, but one was left. The real one. She screamed in agony as the fire bit at her skin, but she wasn't giving up yet.

Runemaster brought down his arms and she fell to the ground, but soon regained her bearings. Briar blocked two attacks by the man, but soon he brought a great blow apon Briar - she was knocked back against a wall. Standing again, she swept her sword at Runemaster's legs, but he only slid back a small bit. Again she would strike, only to miss. Runemaster muttered something, and two floating swords appeared by his side.

Briar had seen this trick before, and remained unfazed. Strikes by the swords and the man himself were blocked in turn, but Runemaster swung his sword across her arm, and she fell, getting up hesitantly this time. She was weakened.

They fought on for what seemed like hours to the two, striking and blocking, falling and rising. Finally, Briar fell. The ground was warm compared to her body, the blood all draining away.. the pain didn't matter anymore.

The Runemaster, with a smile, collected her soul, watching as the body of Briar dissolved, but this time, it wasn't going to be brought back as eight. It wasn't to be brought back. It was over now - but who else would fall victim to him?


	3. 3: Thunder's Fall

A small apprentice suggested to Runemaster that he return to a place far from the Guild, where he was, and retrieve the soul of another.. what fun would that be? Runemaster blew the weak thing off and continued on. Past all the rooms..

The Guildmaster was in those woods. The guards wouldn't let him pass, however Runemaster simply killed each one. Pathetic beings, they were.. oh, how he had changed since his own apprenticeship.

Finally he stepped into the Guild Woods. So many memories lay here. The last time he'd been here, he was young.. so young, indeed. Those were happier times than now. Easier.

He found the Guildmaster, and walked to him, head high. Two guards stood by the Guildmaster's side, protecting him. As if that would work. Runemaster looked on at the 'Oldest Soul', his face showing no expression.

"I still remember the night you were brought to us, my lad," he said, and Runemaster had to hold back a laugh. He didn't suspect a thing anymore, did he? What a foolish old man. "I knew even then what great potential you had, what great things you would accomplish," the Guildmaster told him, his eyes glazed over, as if he was far away.

"Such a pity, it has to end like this. Can't you see Jack is just using you to destroy the Guild?" now he seemed more focused, trying to drive the point into the hero's mind. "I can't allow you to do this.. Guards!" his voice rang out across the Guild Woods.

He was gone then, teleporting, it seemed. The guards stood straight, saluted, and arrows flew from all directions at the Runemaster. He ducked under them, but was hit by a few. However, the Guildmaster spoke again.

"When Maze betrayed me I knew he was a coward.. but you.. you are the biggest dissapointment of all," the old one's words were unwise, for this uncovered anger at him from deep in Runemaster's soul. He was more vicious than ever, now. "You have been given too much power.. and it has corrupted you," he continued, but the hero's eyes were unforgiving. No fool would underestimate him.

"But it isn't too late to turn back. Stop this now, and there is still hope for you. For all of us," his words were strong, his voice weak, "Please, let me teleport you to the Graveyard. Take Nostro's soul instead!"

"Coward.. no," the Runemaster spoke, his anger rising until he could almost no longer control it.

"Very well, Hero. Do your worst. I am no defenceless old man!" the Guildmaster did sound very convincing, but as the hero had mentioned already, he was a coward. Weak in the sense that his morals would prevent him from anything 'wrong'.. hah.

"I have powers that you can't begin to -" and the Runemaster brought up his knee and sank it into the man's stomach. The Guildmaster let out a strained cry of pain and was thrown onto the ground, as the hero walked beside him.

With a jerk of the hero's arm, the sword sank into the 'Oldest Soul's back, and he let out a final cry, falling limp to the ground. Lifeless. Dead. His soul drifted into the vial, and the Runemaster took a deep breath. The last one, thank Avo. He was getting tired of this.

And so the Guildmaster's body dissipated into nothing, his soul bottled up. Such a strange end for one viewed to be so strong. His own words had brought him his death.. how ironic.


End file.
